Spiderwort
Tradescantia
Spiderwort blooms from June through August.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Spiderwort
Plant it in part sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 1.6 ft tall and 1.6 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years.
When to plant Spiderwort
Plant Spiderwort in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9 range, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 6 in March.
Good to know about Spiderwort
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
The sap can cause contact dermatitis (skin irritation, redness, itching) and is mildly toxic if eaten. ASPCA lists it toxic to dogs, cats and horses. per NC State and ASPCA
Worth knowing
Each flower opens in the morning and lasts a single day, often closing by afternoon. But new buds open in succession for weeks, giving a long bloom season. per NC State
Toxicity depends on species
The pet-toxicity listing is really for the tender houseplant Tradescantias. NC State rates the hardy native Ohio spiderwort non-toxic and the andersoniana hybrids low-severity. per ASPCA and NC State
Cut it back midsummer
When the foliage flops and browns after the first flush, cut the clump back hard, to 5 to 8 cm or 15 to 30 cm, to force a rebloom. per Penn State and NC State
Spreads; can be weedy
Self-seeds and spreads by underground runners; can be aggressive or weedy. Site it where spread is welcome, and deadhead before seed set to keep it in bounds. per Penn State and NC State
Draws bees and butterflies
Bees, bumblebees, honey bees and butterflies visit the flowers, and smooth spiderwort is a larval host for some native insects. Its long succession of daily blooms feeds them. per NC State and Clemson
A threatened native
The garden spiderworts are native to eastern and central North America. Virginia spiderwort is now threatened in the wild, so leave wild plants undisturbed when you find them. per Clemson
What pairs well with Spiderwort
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Aster
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Goldenrod
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Rosemary
Takes full sun to part sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Azalea
Takes part sun to part shade and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; taller at 3.9 ft, for the layer behind it.
Lilac
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 9.8 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Autumn Crocus
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; lower at 6 in, for the front of the border; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
Viburnum
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; taller at 6.6 ft, for the layer behind it; both offer pollinator forage, in different months.
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